Turnector: Tangible control widgets for capacitive touchscreen devices

Rutter, Edward Kingsley; Nash, Chris; Mitchell, Thomas J.

Authors

Edward Kingsley Rutter

Chris Nash Chris.Nash@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer in Music Tech - Software Development

Tom Mitchell Tom.Mitchell@uwe.ac.uk
Associate Professor in Creative Technologies

Abstract

This paper details the development of Turnector, a control system based upon tangible widgets that are manipulated on the touchscreen of a capacitive touch device. Turnector widgets are modelled on rotary faders and aim to connect the user to parameters in their audio software in a manner analogous to the one-to-one control mapping utilised in analogue studio equipment. The system aims to streamline workflow and facilitate hands-on experimentation through a simple and unobtrusive interface. The physical widgets provide the users with the freedom to glance away from the touchscreen surface whilst maintaining precise control of multiple parameters simultaneously.
Related work in this area, including interaction design and TUIs in the context of musical control, is first discussed before setting out the design specification and manufacturing process of the Turnector widgets. A number of unique methods for widget detection, tracking are presented before closing the paper with initial findings and conclusive remarks.

Citation

Rutter, E. K., Nash, C., & Mitchell, T. J. (2014, September). Turnector: Tangible control widgets for capacitive touchscreen devices. Paper presented at The 40th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) joint with the 11th Sound & Music Computing conference (SMC)

Presentation Conference Type	Conference Paper (unpublished)
Conference Name	The 40th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) joint with the 11th Sound & Music Computing conference (SMC)
Start Date	Sep 14, 2014
End Date	Sep 20, 2014
Publication Date	Sep 1, 2014
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Pages	785-789
Keywords	music Technology, NIME, tangible interfaces, MIDI control
Publisher URL	http://www.icmc14-smc14.net
Additional Information	Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Proceedings of the 40th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) and the 11th Sound & Music Computing conference (SMC)